Firms' Environmental, Social, and Governance Performance and Tax Avoidance: Evidence From China
Document Information Authors: Xu Liu, Le Luo, Baolei Qi Journal: Accounting & Finance Publisher: Wiley Published: 2025-11-13 DOI: 10.1111/acfi.70144 Abstract Purpose: ABSTRACT This study analyses the relationship between firms' environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance and corporate tax avoidance. We use a sample of Chinese firms listed on the A‐share market from 2009 to 2019 and find that compared with firms with worse ESG performance, those with better ESG performance tend to have a higher level of tax avoidance. This finding is interpreted through a novel strategic finance perspective rather than an ethical lens, which highlights tax planning as a legitimate financial strategy rather than opportunistic evasion. This positive effect increases with firms' financial constraints and decreases with firms' profitability and government pressure. In addi...